Peach cobbler

“Next time you visit, you’ll get to cook here,” said my mom as she showed me her new kitchen. Because her house had flooded in Houston’s heavy rains of 2016, she had spent the most of the past year rebuilding her house. When I was there in April, it wasn’t quite ready for her to move into yet, but I was giving her advice on how to organize her new space. Everyone has gifts to offer and as a kitchen person, I reckon one of mine is good ideas about where pots and pans should go in relation to the oven and stove.

Since my mom’s an Episcopal priest, her house is a rectory. This means that it’s not only her home but also a space where people in her church gather for meetings and celebrations. Shortly after my visit, she moved back and it seemed like every time I talked to her she was having another party, sometimes several in one weekend. When they restored her kitchen, she had opened the space by tearing down walls and lengthening the counters so it was more conducive to people visiting as they served themselves from a long line of dishes, bowls, and plates.

Now, my mom’s not only a Texan who loves her home state’s cuisine, but she’s also proud of her kids, so she enjoys cooking from my blog and books and bragging about where she got the recipe. I had put her on testing duty last year for Queso!, so she’s been serving lots of dishes from that over the summer, as melted cheese always makes for a fine party food, though for potlucks she also enjoys sharing Aaron Franklin’s pinto beans and the peach cobbler recipe from my first cookbook.

That cobbler is an adaptation of one made by my great-grandmother. Of course, I’ve tinkered with it a bit and besides being seasoned with the traditional cinnamon I also stir in a dash of ginger, too. That makes it a little exotic, but it’s still a homey, classic dessert that can feed lots of people easily. Mom says it’s not only a cinch to make but it’s always a hit. This past week, as I’m sure you know, a hurricane hit Texas. The coastal towns of Rockport and Port Aransas were wrecked by the wind and the storm, and much of the Houston area is drowning in water, too. The flooding and devastation are tragic and every time I look at pictures, I feel hopeless and distraught.

My mom’s house began to flood early Sunday so she’s currently staying with friends on higher and drier land. Before the storm she had been in Oregon visiting my brother and his family, so I assumed she’d just stay there and wait until it passed, but she said she wanted to come home to be there for her church. And she has, as every day she prays with her parishioners on Facebook. Since many are without homes or stranded right now, those moments have been a gift for them.

My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by the storm. Yet despite the destruction, there’ve also been glimmers of hope. For instance, people have opened their homes and businesses to those have been displaced; people have navigated their boats through the water to rescue those who were stranded; people have donated cash and goods to local shelters; and people have cooked for those who had no longer had the means to feed themselves. Indeed, if we put aside our differences, offer our gifts, and treat each other with generosity and kindness, we can make it through this challenging time.

But I’ve also been cooking, as that helps me feel better, too. If you’re feeding others or just want a comforting dish, here’s the peach cobbler that fed so many of my mom’s friends this summer. It brought them joy and in these challenging times, perhaps it will bring some joy to you and yours, too. And I have hope for our future, as Texans are brave, generous, and strong.

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Peach Cobbler

Servings8

AuthorLisa Fain

Ingredients

1/2cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1cupall-purpose flour

1cupsugar

2teaspoonsbaking powder

¼teaspoonkosher salt

1cupwhole milk

2cupssliced peaches, fresh or frozen

1teaspoonground cinnamon

1teaspoonground ginger

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pour the melted butter into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch baking pan. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended then stir in the milk until smooth. Evenly pour the batter over the butter but do not stir!

Toss the peaches with the cinnamon and ginger then layer on top of the batter. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

My parents and sister live in Rockport. They are fortunate that their homes are still standing. So sorry to hear about your mom's house. Two years of records floods in a row has got to be a lot to bear

I have a very similar, cherished recipe from my grandmother. The ginger is a great addition. I'll be sure to include that on the next go 'round. As always, thanks for the great Texas foods resource. I've been craving sour cream chicken enchiladas lately. Your recipe gets me as close to home as possible without buying a ticket.

Sorry for your Mom's loss. But it's great to see the nation, if not at least the south, coming together to support those in need. Too bad it takes a storm to do it. We are heading to the coast from SATX Friday with four truck loads of supplies.

Thanks for the recipe too. Just got my first cast iron skillet last month and have been working on the seasoning. This will definitely be something I try soon…

hey Lisa: I am a Houston Native living in Louisville, KY and my heart aches watching all the flooding. Takes me back to Hurricane Katrina(12yrs ago) friends/family were affected. praying for your mother and all of Texas. My family/friends there are OK. Thanks for giving me a little peace/joy with this Peach Cobbler recipe. Reminds me of my summers at my grandmothers in Houston and it makes me smile.

I'm am so sorry for your Mom's loss. It brightens my day knowing she is helping her parishioners through this. The whole southern Texas coast has been wrecked. We now have rivers flooding areas that were originally spared by the rain. It is heartbreaking.

I was taking food to our first responders. Do you think this would double/triple well? Not sure I can even find peaches at the store because every store is low on groceries. But it is such a comforting food, I would love to try. Thank you!

new to your blog – we are praying for TX too – it's very good to see so many of them facing this super tough time with care for each other (strangers or not) and working together. They are showing us the way forward in this, I hope and pray! …. lovely recipe of course… and I loved reading about your Mother's kitchen. We are so blessed to have such good strong Mothers.

Lisa, so sorry to hear about your mom's place. My folks had to evacuate and can't check on the house since the neighborhood is still flooded from the Addicks Reservoir spillover. Our hometown is strong, and everyone will grow stronger through this. Let's all keep praying and doing what we can. Hugs.

So sorry for your mom to go through this flood again. My two daughters live in Houston, but they were blessed with no damage to their homes. I am forwarding this recipe to my daughter as she is cooking to take meals to the first responders at the fire station near her house. Thank you for this post, it brightened my day!

As a fellow second time flood experiencer I know how your Mom is feeling these days. This has been a hard, hard week for all Houston and SE Texas, doubly so for this of us who flooded a mere 16 months ago. I too did some work in my kitchen when I rebuilt last year; my builder is hopeful he can salvage some of it and then rebuild the rest. It's hard, but I have been blessed to be helped and loved by so many people as I start to recover.Prayers for your Mom and so so many others here in our wonderful city.

Lisa,As a Houstonian, I too am so thankful for the first responders, and I hope that your mother's home/rectory is on its way to drying out. Where is you mother's church?I will definitely make this cobbler for those who housed me.

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